Vanterpool Calls for Pause on $798K DeCastro
People's Leadership Movement leader Mark Vanterpool has urged the government to pause the upcoming $798,000 DeCastro Street sidewalk improvement project in Road Town ahead of its scheduled September 7 start date. Vanterpool is demanding public consultations, full technical disclosures, and clear justifications regarding planned tree removals and proposed changes to the Road Town roundabout before any irreversible works begin.
People's Leadership Movement (PLM) leader Mark Vanterpool has called on the Virgin Islands Government and the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) to immediately pause the upcoming $798,000 DeCastro Street sidewalk project until officials conduct public consultations and provide a comprehensive explanation of the works, particularly plans to remove mature trees.
The project, valued at $798,108.74, was contracted to TMB Enterprises by the RDA on July 30 and is scheduled to commence on Monday, September 7. As part of the government-funded Road Town Development Partnership, the initiative is designed to widen and level pedestrian pathways, improve drainage, upgrade parking areas, and enhance wheelchair accessibility to eliminate hazardous, uneven surfaces.
However, Vanterpool voiced significant reservations after receiving numerous calls and messages from concerned residents and business operators regarding reports that several mature trees along the corridor will be uprooted. Many of the trees, planters, and parking layouts along DeCastro Street were established nearly 30 years ago during improvement works in the early 2000s, when Vanterpool served as the representative for Road Town.
He recalled that before those upgrades, some of the parking areas were unpaved and frequently became muddy. Following a recent walk-through of the corridor from Scotiabank to Bobby's Marketplace, Vanterpool said he observed healthy mature trees, including mahogany and flamboyant trees, as well as established shrubbery and flowers.
He noted that the trees have withstood major natural disasters, including Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and have become an essential part of the street's identity, especially during the Christmas season when they are decorated. While acknowledging that project officials might have technical concerns regarding root intrusion or soil salinity, Vanterpool insisted that any expert assessments justifying tree removal must be made public.
He called on authorities to clarify whether the sidewalk, drainage, and parking improvements can be completed without cutting down mature greenery, and requested details on the species and sizes of any replacement flora, along with designated maintenance responsibilities. In addition to the sidewalk works, the PLM leader raised strong objections to reported plans to alter the Road Town roundabout and invite design proposals, urging officials to preserve and properly maintain the existing structure instead.
Vanterpool stressed that his position is not opposition for the sake of criticism, but a call for transparency, stakeholder engagement, and accountability in the expenditure of public funds. He urged the government to publish full project drawings, environmental assessments, implementation schedules, and cost breakdowns before undertaking irreversible alterations to the capital.
Primary source: BVI News